This weekend NBA Live 14 rolled out a patch, but cautioned it was more of a building-block update, designed mostly to help future patches improve the game more conspicuously. The team also dropped this tutorial video, which is notable because it appears to show a new practice mode.

The lack of a practice mode may seem trivial for a game that was comprehensively panned, but I (and others) argued that players would have felt a little more forgiving toward NBA Live's gameplay if they had an environment in which to understand its basics. It's especially true given the trial-and-error necessary to learn a timing-based shot system that doesn't give you feedback as to what you're doing wrong.

In Twitch.tv tutorials shortly after NBA Live's release, Scott O'Gallagher, the developer who narrates this video, would suggest that players start up a game and turn off all fouls and rules to create a practice-like lab. It was OK, but you still faced a defense and changes of possession. Here we see an offense-only mode in an empty arena as O'Gallagher again reintroduces us to the basics of NBA Live 14 gameplay. There's no word on when the next patch drops but if it includes any kind of a tutorial or a laboratory mode, better late than never.